Last for shoes



J- E. MACKAY LAST FGR SEOES Feb. 14, 1950 Filed Nov. 15, 1948 Patented Feb. 14, 1950 LAST FOR snoEs James Edwin Mackay, Street, England, assignor to C. & J. Clark Limited, Street, Somerset, England, aBritish company v I Application November 15, isiaseriai No.'59,999 In Great Britain October 22, 1948 The present invention relates to improvements in lasts used in the manufacture'of boots and shoes, hereinafter referred to collectively as shoes,

and also to trees-used for the purpose of main taining the form of a shoe when it is out of use,

4 Claims. (cine-436';

the expression last being used in this specification to include a tree. I

It is known in the manufacture of shoes to use a last which is constructed in at least two relatively movable parts in order that the wide heel part may be displaced toward the front of the last so as to pass easily into and out'of the opening in theshoe upper above the waist of the shoe. The reason for this is that the rear portion of a shoe narrows inwardly in an upward direction away from the heel in order to fit snugly about the foot of the wearer in the region of the ankle but by causing the parts of .a lastto move relatively. as described, above the insertion and removal of the'lastcan be effected without distorting or stretching the edge of the opening I in the shoe upper.

In the specification of my prior United States Patent No. 2,426,516 there is described a threepart last which broadly comprises a front portion and a two-part rear portion consisting of an upper rear part linked to and rockableion the front portion and a lower; rear part pivotally connected to said upper rear part by a link means which 'permits the lower rear part to swing toward the front portion as said upper rear part is rocked toward said front portion, In the particular embodiments of the prior invention which. are described in the patent specification referred to, separate upper and lower parts, which together constituted the rear portionof the last, had between them a plane of cleavage extending from the back of the last through to a position below the. axisabout which a one-piece front portion rocked inf, relation to the two-part rear portion, The link m ans between the two parts of the rear portion was such that as the upper part of the rear portion, which conformed generally to the ankleof the foot of the intended'wearer, was made to "per form a hinged movement in relation to the one piece front portion, the lower rear part, corre sponding in shape to the heel of the foot on which the shoe was. intended to be worn, was freeto swing upon its connecting link'toward and away from the front portion of the last. It is stated in the patent specification referred to' that a spring could be provided to force the lower part of the rear portion forwardly when the rear portion is hinged relatively to the front portion. The prior patent specification accordingly provides one means for effecting the automatic forward displacement ofthe heel part of the last, which is a feature of particular value when removing the last from a shoe.

It is an object of the present invention to proyide an improvedthree-part last of the same general character as that described in the speci-. fication' of my prior United States patent SPB'Ci-a fication No. 2,426,516. 1 Another object of the present invention is to provide a three-part last of the character referred to, which employs improved means for ef-v fecting the automatic forward displacement of the heel part of. the last, that is, for effecting automatic shortening of the last as a whole during the act of insertion or of removal thereof;-

A iurthenobject ofthe present invention is to provide :a three-partlast comprising a front portion and a two-part rear portion consisting of an upper rear part hingedly connected to said front-portion so. as to be rockable relative to the front portion and aloweripart connected by link means only to said upper rear' part, so as to move backwardsvand forwards: relativeto said .upper rear part said link means being so constructed as to-positively constrain the lower rear. part to partake of a forward movementas theupper rear part rocks towardthe front portion.

In order that the invention may be more read: ily" understood avthree-part last made in accordance with the invention will nowlbe' more par.- ti'cularly described with the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein: -Figure 1 is apart-sectional elevation of the last in the open-or-broken" position,

Figure 2 is a view of the same last in a position about midway-between the open or broken position and the closed position, T

Figure 3 is a view of the same last position, and 1 l Figure 4 is afragmentary plan view, to an en'- larged scale, on line 4-4 oi-Figure 3. r

In the drawings the last is shown in the positionin'which it-could be'used as a shoe tree but it will be understood that when used in the manufacture of shoes'it mounted in an inverted position-on -a'- rigid support.

in the closed The last comprises'a front portion 2 constituting-a forepart conforming to the toe and waist portions'of thede'sired foot shape and-a two-part rear portion 3 made up of an upper part 4 and a lower part5 movable relatively to the upper part 4. The upper part 4 conforms to the ankle portion of the desired foot shape and the-lower part 5 corresponds to the heel portion of the foot shape.- The upper part 4 is provided witha transverse semiscylindrical projection 6 which seats in a correspondingly shaped transverse recess 1 in the front portion 2 in such a manner as to permit of angular movement of the portions 3, '4 which are connected together by one or, as shown, by a pair of slotted links 8 which engage-pins 9, l0 inserted in-holes drilled'transversely in the portions 2 and 3 respectively, the pins 9 in being sopositioned and the links 8 being so shaped that while the/projection 6 is held firmly in the recess l-inall positions of relative movement of the portions 2"a'nd'3, the portions 2, 3 tend to occupy either the'relative positions shown in Fig; 1 or the relative positions shown in Fig. 3. This form of connection between front and rear portions of a last is well known. v

In the last of the present invention the upper ankle part 4 and lower heel part5 of the rear portion 3 of the last are movable relatively to one another in such wise that when the rear portion 3 is moved angularlyjrelatively to the front portion or forepart 2 from whatmay be regarded as the normal position of the parts shown in Fig. 3, the lower part 5 is moved forwardly relative to the upper part 4 into the position'shown 111mg, 11 in which the widest portion of" the rear portion-"3 ofthe la'st,"which is at the part of the last corresponding to-the heel, is forwardly of its-normal position and consequently the last can be removed from, or inserted into, a shoe without distorting orrstretching the upper edge of the shoe. This result is attained in the construction shown in the drawings by providing a plane of cleavage between the parts 4, Sin circular arcs: IL. L2 extendingxin the closed last (see Figure'3) iromia position below the hinge connection of the 'front and rear portions 2-, 3 upward-iytoand through the back of the last, and by connecting the parts 4, 5 together by a control link l3. which is provided with an arm I4, the purposeof which will be described later. The link I3: ismounted by its opposite; ends on thepin I alreadyreferred to and on a. pin I inserted in holes bored in. suitable positions in the part. 5; The radius: of tlilEyCllCl-HEI arcs II,

1.2- and the length and; mounting of the link I3 are sochosen that for the. small relative, movement. of' the parts :4, 5 theresnis .no substantial separation of;the parts, or in other words, for all practicalipurposes, the. parts 4;, 5 maybe considered as having a relative translatory or sliding movement. 11

The pin I5 to which; onegend of=the1 control link I3 is piyotally'attachedpasses: transversely through, a recess I:6. provided in thel upper, forportion; 035 the; heel part5 and the pin- ID to which the link I,3;:is alsopivotal-lyr attached passes transversely through an: open-end slit II provided in the region of the projection 6- on the forward-end; ofthe;.:a-nkle part 4-; The arm I4 of the controlrlinki I3; extends forwardly, that is;; toward the toe portion of the; last,to; engage an abutment provide inhe cavity l8 formedn the forepa-rt 2' of thelast th-rougl' which, cavity- I;8x transversely extend e p n 'j l- One end of each of the link s 8 -.-is pivotally-attached. The abutment is located at or adjacent the point of connection of the hinge links, 8- to said forepart 2 and is preferably constituted, as shown, by saidjpin 9.

Figure 3 shows. the last in its closedv position, that-is,the position in which it, acts as a tree for the-shoe in which thelast has been inserted, and it; will be understood from Figure3 that the control; link I3 is madev of sucha form that the outer end of the arm, I4 thereof abuts-thepin 9=in the forepart 2 of the'last. Intheprocess of opening or breaking the lastrfor-the-purposeoi removing; it from the shoe theankle part 4.- is rocked the, pin 9 in the forepart 2 of the last serves to limit the rearward displacement of the heel part 5 as the ankle part 4 rocks toward the forepart 2. "The arm 14 also positively regulates the rearward displacement of the heel part 5 during the closing of the last. The control imposed on the movement of the heel part 5 during the opentoward the forepar-t-2 in1 known manner and throughout, this process, as exemplifiedby position shown: in Figure12)- until; the open, position (see; Figure l) is'reached, the arm- I4-of the control pin I3 bears againstthepin 9 so-that that pin serves as an abutment to constrain-the link I3 to; pivot about -the hingepinlfli in the ankle ing of the last ensures that the last is automatically shortened in such a manner that the shoe is not distorted or damaged.

7 I claim:v ,v 1. A three-part shoelast comprising a, front portion and a two part rear portion consisting of an upper rear part1 hingedly connected to said front: portionso as to be rockable relative there to and of a lower part connected by linkmeans. only to said upper rear part,;so as to move backwards. and forwards relative to said upper rear part, said link means being so constructed as to positively constrain said lower rear part to partake'of a forward movement as said upper rear part rocks toward said front portion.

2. A three-part shoe last comprising a forepart, an ankle part hinged adjacent its lower front. edge to said forepart and a heel part suspended below said aiikle-partv solelyby means of a link device which cooperates with said forepart to. cause said. heel part-to move relative to said ankle part. and, toward said forepart as said ankle part-ishingedtoward said forepart.

3. A Shoe last comprising, in. combination, a

forepart conforming to the toe and waist portions of the desired foot shape. having toward its lower rear edge atransverse formation constituting one elementoi a. fulcrum. and provided inthe region of said transverse formation with a, forwardly extending cavitythrough which a first pinpasses transversely;- an ankle. part having a transverse formation which. iscomple-rnentary to the formation. of said iorepart andv which. constitutes the other element of a. iulcrum so. that said ankle part. can be rockedlon. and. in relationto, saidjforepart and having, an 1' opens-end slit extending through the 'frontportion of said ankle part in the, region of, its, transverse formation and through which a second pin passesgtransversely; at least one link element engaging said first and secondl pins so as tohing'edlypinterconnect said forepart and said ankle part; a heel part having a recessin, theupper forward portion thereof and throu'gh' which a third pin passes transversely, anda; control link apertured forithe reception of salifgilsecond' and. third pins so as to swingably interconnect said ankle part andsaid heel part, said control link havingja formation which extends into the cavity ofsai'd forepartfor contacting'with an abutment face. therein so that, when during the-'a'ctoi breakingffthe' last the ankle part is rocked towards the forep'art; to which it is hingedlyconnected; the control link by reason of 'contactingthe abutmentfa'ce' in the cavity of said forepar't is'cause'd' to move the heel part forwar-dly in relation tothe ankle-part. V 4:. A last as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the control link is formed with an arm which co-operateswith-an,abutment face constituted by said first pin which passes trans verselythrough the cavity-ofthe forepart.

' JAMES EDWIN MACKAY.

-No references-cited, 

